I'm looking for fictional intragenerational incest narratives -- books, film, television, etc. -- in which the relationship is presented as a tragic love, doomed to failure. I'm not interested in the probably more common (and more realistic) pure trauma narratives. The relationship need not necessarily be physically consummated.

A few, as examples of what might count here: Geek Love, The House of Yes, The Royal Tennenbaums. Please, no intergenerational stories. That's gross.

Well, this is supposedly based on a true story but the Drive By Truckers' song "The Deeper In" may fit your criteria.posted by padraigin at 6:45 PM on March 25, 2008

Daniel Handler (yes, aka Lemony Snicket) wrote a tragicomic novel called Watch Your Mouth in which the protagonist comes to realize that his girlfriend is having a sexual relationship with her father. Who's making a golem in the basement. It's a weird book.posted by nicwolff at 6:54 PM on March 25, 2008

Books:
Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure
Ian McEwan's The Cement Garden
The V.C. Andrews incest classic Flowers in the Attic and its sequels, though those are more crazy than tragic (see also Dawn, which is not part of the series)
Faulkner's The Sound and the Fury

George RR Martin's A Song of Fire and Ice series (A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings, ...) centrally features an incest plot (twins, natch) with just the characteristics that you're looking for.posted by a robot made out of meat at 7:42 PM on March 25, 2008

One of my favorite Jacobean revenge tragedies, 'Tis Pity She's a Whore. I can't recommend the 1971 film adaptation, though.posted by desuetude at 7:43 PM on March 25, 2008

Donna Tartt's The Secret Historyposted by Cucurbit at 7:46 PM on March 25, 2008

Does George Michael's love for Maebe in Arrested Development count?posted by snofoam at 7:53 PM on March 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Hopefully a link to an old House episode will prevent anyone from seeing spoilers they don't want: here.posted by vytae at 7:56 PM on March 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

Robert Stone's story "Bear and his Daughter".posted by tangerine at 7:58 PM on March 25, 2008

Oh, sorry, I missed that you said intragenerational.posted by tangerine at 7:59 PM on March 25, 2008

The TV show Nip, Tuck had a storyline just recently that addressed this. Also...

The fairy tale, Donkey Skin. It's a bizarre story that was made into an even more bizarre movie.
From the Wikipedia entry:

It is Aarne-Thompson folktale type 510B, the persecuted heroine. Others of this type include Cap O' Rushes, Catskin, Little Cat Skin, Allerleirauh, The King who Wished to Marry His Daughter, The She-Bear, Mossycoat, Tattercoats, The Princess That Wore A Rabbit-Skin Dress, and The Bear.

GGM's 100 Years of Solitude fits. So does Francois Ozon's film Sitcom. Both of those are unusual, too, in that the older party is the woman/mother/aunt.posted by rokusan at 11:18 PM on March 25, 2008 [1 favorite]

60;spoiler-ish62;

It's not the primary plot line, and the two individuals involved are step-siblings but the film 'Teeth' fits the criteria.

The asker is looking for intra-generational stories.posted by churl at 2:27 AM on March 26, 2008

Octavia Butler wrote "Near of Kin", which can be found in Bloodchild and Other Stories. It's a departure from her typical science fiction, but it is a gentle heartfelt story that is probably just what you're looking for.posted by Katemonkey at 3:40 AM on March 26, 2008

The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (also Arrested Development?)posted by bluefly at 3:43 AM on March 26, 2008

If you don't mind very raunchy intergenerational and intragenerational incest side by side in a novel that apes conventional operatic form, complete with a cruise ship, a marauding golem, and suggestions for each character's singing register, Daniel "Lemony Snicket" Handler's Watch Your Mouth is both hilarious and tragic.posted by Schlimmbesserung at 10:20 AM on March 26, 2008

In 1991, before anyone knew who he was, Clive Owen was in a movie called Close My Eyes, along with Alan Rickman and Saskia Reeves. It's as tasteful and understated a depiction of brother-sister incest as can be imagined, I think. A well-done thing. Seek it out.posted by cgc373 at 6:21 PM on March 26, 2008

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